McLaren clutches at straw in plea for arable sector to help livestock

He was speaking on Auchorachan, Glenlivet a family run farm comprising 1,150 hectares where Michael Durno and his parents tend 600 Blackface ewes, 150 cross-bred cattle and a pedigree Simmental herd.

Along with the Cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead, McLaren met a number of local farmers and the current challenges facing the sheep industry were aired.

McLaren urged cereal growers not to chop their straw this harvest as it was a "vital resource for those keeping cattle and sheep in the hills".

With reports the length and breadth of the country now recording large numbers of sheep casualties as a result of the severe weather, McLaren asked Loch-head to try and get an immediate extension of the area covered by the derogation that allows livestock farmers to bury their stock.

This derogation covers the more remote areas of Scotland where the economics of collecting carcases do not stack up. But, McLaren said the numbers of dead sheep in most of the breeding areas was so high this year that a short-term extension would make a major difference for farmers dealing with dead animals.

While he received a "we will try every avenue" response from the minister, the tone was such that it indicated there was little likelihood the extension would be granted by the European Union powers that be in Brussels.

On the wider front, Lochhead did say he was fully aware of the "dreadful implications the latest spate of bad weather has had on the lambing season".

He continued: "Both myself and Scottish Government officials have been in constant contact with farming representatives over the last few weeks to keep abreast of the impact the weather has had on the industry.

"While the cost is still being counted, I hope hill sheep farmers can take solace in the predicted milder weather to come."